Automatic time-limit control means for interlocking levers of railway appliances



Au 9 1927. I v 1,638,793

g c. ADLER. JR

AUTOMATIC TIME LIMIT CONTROL MEANS FOR INTERLOCKING LEVERS OF RAILWAY APPLIANCES Filed Feb, 26. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ell INVENTOR, "If-f :2 a 2 z i w A 5 I 2: we m Z J ATTORNEY.

Aug. 9, 1912 1,638,793

C. ADLER. JR

AUTOMATIC TIME LIMIT CONTROL MEANS FOR IN'I 'ERLOCKING LEVERS 0F RAILWAY APPLIANCES Filed Feb. 26. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. "9, 1927."

' oHAnLEs" A LER, ,Jn.,,1ornALTiMonn, vranvnann AUTOMATIC TIME-LIMIT CONTROL. MEANS non NTERLOCKING nnvnnsbnnarnwai H. "'APPLIANCE Q. f

. This invention relates to improvements 1 in automatic time limit control means for mterlock nglevers of railway appliances.

The'object of the invention is to provide an electrically operated time limit means forensurmg a certain time interval between the successive operation or levers, for example the levers which control. respectively, the signal and switch in signal] towers,

whereby to prevent the throwing of a switch a without first giving suflicient warning by,

' signal to the operator of an approaching train.

The present invention includes a novel arrangement of relay with contacts whereby the actuation of the signal lever will cause "an operation of the relayjthat will close a circuitlthrough a motor which latter must operate through a definiteitimeiinterval 'l: efore the interlocki-ngmeans with the switch lever releases the 'latterior operation. The nvention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement ot devices hereinafter set forth and specifically claimed herein. v

The accompanying drawings" illustrate the invention, wherein,

Fig. 1 shows in adiagrammatic manner,

I the signal and switch levers;theinterlocking device coacting with the switch lever; the. lm'proved relay, time-interval motor means, and the circuits for controllingythe apparatus-' v v, 3

Fig. 2 illustrates the improved relay'and time-interval motor-means employed by-me,

and

Fig.3

shows a fragment of the reset lever and the reset finger on the armature when the armatureis in the dropped position.

Referring to the drawings the "numeral 5, designates a signal'deviceyti, the switch;

7 the signal lever and8the switch lover.

The signal and switch'levers 7 and 8 may I be regarded as located' in a t.ower,''thc for- [mer being connectedfto the-signaljbv suitable means, "in this'instanceby rods and" cranks 9 -10-7-11. and, the switch lever 8 in this instance, being connected to switch 6 by lever, 12, crank, 15, and rods 14 and 15 V v v The switch lever. 8 also a connection. by rod 16 with a'lock device 17, so that the switch-lever 8 itself can be moved. I

aThis' lock device 17 is illustratedflerely in adiagrammatic manner but will presentlyybe, further explained.

These features. above are combinatlonfwith other structures;

each" signal, lever "-7 i with switch blarlts 18 and 19, which blades, when the signal lever j is n the normal position. with thesignal t danger, engage switch contacts 20fand21 "soasxto close with the latter- The electric switch contact mechanism through myi-mproved relay; By reference to Fig. 2,'0f the drawing,

:Eollowed by an explanation of the circ'iiifs.

The relay mechanism is: pre't'erably,,'c ar. ried lna case or housing22, in which-there 23 ofany; suitable.insulat ng :m'a-

a base In actual practice the relay lme'ch an willinvolve numerous electromagnets and back contacts-and motormechanisms."

but in -the"present instance; I lsl iowfbut a V 20 istocontrol I myimproved relay while the electric switch contact 21.1controls the lock'17 of the-switch ":0;

ront v single set of'these devices necessaryflt'or' the lockingv of a single switchwith'thesignal V e f whichguards that switchg With this understan'ding,;the 'nuineral l instance is shown' suspended from" thei topj of thejrcase or housing, and. associatedwith V I "this. magnet is'anarmature 2o, which-is piv-f 'otally sustained from' a suitablepost or bracket 26, soits' free end may be attracted is insulated from the armature and has a The armature 2,5, carr i'es a'n arin QZ which, i:

5 designates an electro-magnet, which in this i andheldup as long as said magnetiisenen front contact28 and abackfcon'tact 9,9, 3 j the said front 'c ontact-28inormallyengaging;

a stationary contact 30iwhich' has connec-f In thisinstance, there are also shown con tion with "a binding-posttl on the basej'2 3r 00 l was 32"and 33which close when arm'27 is droppedas' the relay magnet 24; becomes gdeenergized. These contacts however are" an;

lized in the systenrior purposes not f'i'n :fvolved in the-operations of the structure i herein claimed and aiinere mentionof them 1. ls'deemed suflicient; t p V V .A" fle'xible CODDBClZIOD 3 l1s'p'rov1ded from thearm 27 to abinding-post 35, for 'zt'pnrpose-that will presently be explained.

I In addition, to the"contactsreferred to, l provide a counterwelghtedcontact-lever 36,

y 'c'arried on short postsfii, which lever licsfin' the path of ,thc flmch' contact 29 of arm 2] when' the latter is dropped witharmature '25 as electro-magnet It'is to be understoodthat poster bra cket 26 is-so located that thegrear end of arm. 27, ca-nlswing downibehind it when the -armature is released. 1 I I I: [A suitablestop 38 is provided for the v I operation {of a" plained- L icontact lever 36. whereby to limit the upward movement of the contactingfend toward the baclrcont'act 29 ojn arm 27, J l Y lTh'e rear end-of armature 25sisj provided with acuilvedlinger or; projectionl fi) that projects rearwar'dly from the post, '26, and

this finger projecting as" it does at the rear 1 t me "is. effected automatically v through the @The numeral el designates a motor which in; this instance is; presumed to-have a hori- I "Zontal shaft e2 with a V latedth'e worm 4 7,

endgo said shaft.

SupllortgG v h w en motor .41 is oper- A gear-44; and h ft45 l i evolved. ,1 1 H worm drives worm-gear l8 which is mount- 1 ed; on "a shaft. 49 that. turns in bearings on -The. worm-gear 48 thereforedrives or refyolves,theshaft 49 andon this shaft there is a reset-arm l-which latter will swing through complete circular -path as the Iworm g'ear.makes a revolution.

V I The position of the reset-arm 51 is such that ,w it will swing'throughthe same vertical plane "as-tliatin which the trip finger 39*lies and j its iunction I is to "engage said; finger when the armature has dropped andgehect a resetting 50mm. armature after a predetermined time.

interV alldela-y as willpresently be eirplain'ed. I Having, described the stnictural features 7 ing.

motor as will now be eX- v worm 4:3;on the outer one side thereof to one of the electric switch contacts and from the other of sa dswltch contacts 20, there is a: wire, connection 54, that extends to one side of the electro magnet24, of the time interval relay. From the otherside oi the eleetroanagnet 2i, there f are return wires 55'and56back to the other 7 side "of the battery 52..

.7 It will therefore 'be'seenthat when signal lever T is. in the normal position with the signal 5 at danger; the'switch blade 18 will switch contacts and the electro-magnet '24;

of the relay.-thereby keeping said relay magnet energized.

The battery 52, has a connection 53 from i close the switch contacts 2Q .an'd maintaina closed c rcuit from battery 52 through the From battery 52, thereis another normal I circuit which is controlled, by; the armature ofrelay magnet 24 tooperatethe lock 17 of the rail switchleyer 8, .as will now be explained.

. From battery- '52, by tolbinding post 31 on the relay, then by wire 58 '.(1see I vFig. 2) to a contact-bar 59 or said relay' on which'the contact is locatech'then through front contact 28 of armature-arm 27 to andq through wire and binding' post then from binding posti35 by 'wire-GO to one oi the switch contacts .21; then by'wire G1 to" J lock-magnet 62- andlrom said lock-magnet bywires. 623i 6% and 56 b cl; to .the battery 52.

It will therefore be understood that whenv the signal lever 7 is in the normalpositmn ,(signal at danger) andrelay magnet 241s.

energized, tlielock-magnet 62 will also be energized gso as'to hold latch 65 ,up and free 7 w h z c the lock 17 in order thatthe rail switchlever i A wormgcalf lh-is carried'on a shaft 45, which latter is sustained in suitable bearing? .8" may be moved; 7

The rail switch-lever 8 may therefore be nOVed when the signal 5' is at danger and signal lever 7 ism the normal position, eX-

cept, that after the rail switch andqsignal have once been set forl an' approaching train and it is desiredto change th'erouteof that Ltrain, then: the switchcannot'bechanged until flst the dan er "signal is 'set'.aa'ainst 9 k3 c.

contact-leverBG; which wire 67 connects with f;

one side of the relay-motor 41. F v

' It will further be seen that from the. other side of relay motorlllthere is a wire ,68

which leads toabinding' post 69 on the relay a wire 70 which preferably passes lllll'Ollg'll a-resistance adjuster 71 and from the resistance a'd uster, there is anothercw-ire 72.

base. From-this binding post 69, there isi.

I 6 by moving switch .lev'er 'to the broken end 7301 the latch' 65,

line position in Fig. 1, and inidoing this, therod 16 will be actuated and'the lock .17, will be moveduntil the lug 72 thereonwill swing to a position to the left of the latch which isheld up by the lock-magnet Having set the'rail switch 6, the'operator then moves lever '7 to set the signal '-to clear. This shifts lever Tfrom the normal danger position to the broken lineposition shown in Fig. 1, andyin doing. this both switch-bladesls and 19 are withdrawn from thecontacts 20 and 21Iand thereby opening the circuit through the relay magnet 24,

and at the same time opening the circuit through the lock magnet 62 I The opening of the lock-magnet circuit at once deenergizes that magnet 62 and allows latch to drop and as lock 17 will then 'When the signal lever z wasmoved and magnet 62 is deenergized;

have been swung over to the left; the latch end 78 will dropin front oi lock lug 72and prevent the lock frombeing swung back,

consequently rail switch lever 8 -must remain 1n the left hand position as =-long as lockthe circuit interrupted at 18'20, relay mag net 24 became deenergized and armature 25,

1 with its arm 27 both dropped: The dropping I of arm 27 produced a break 'atits front con- 7 tact 28 and-thus created a second break in I are down.

determined time interval delay before the switch lever can be unlocked and the rail I I de-energized moves beyond the influence ofthe circuit through the lock-1nagnet62, (the first break being at" the contacts 21) so that even if; the signal lever were at once 'returned and blade 19 made to close the con tactsi21, the lockmagnet wouldnot be energlzed because armature ,25 and arm 27 When this armature 25, is dropped, its movement 'carriesit beyond thejinfluence of relay-magnet 24 so that even if that magnet 24 is again energized, it will not pick up the armature 25 and its arm 27. Therefore as long asarm 27 is down the lock magnet 62 cannot be energized, consequently the rail switch lever 8 cannot be moveduntil two things take place, to wit: the signal lever 7 must be returned to danger and the signal thus set and second after the-signal has been returned to danger. then there must be a pre switch moved; 1

The purpose of this delay is to prevent the operator from suddenly changing his 1 mind about routing a train withoutfirst'seh II c5 ting the signal at danger long enough to give the engineer time to stop his train be This time interval is fdeterminediby the relay motor 4l,- which"begins a cycle ofmor ,tionlwhen the signal lever7 is returned to,

wisebeopem normal or danger be causje at that time the armature 25 and its arm 27 'aredownf andcannot be picked u iyfbyjrelay' magnet 24,

although the latter becomes'energized when Lthe signal'leve'r' 7 is returned and the bladef 18 closes theci-rcuit between contacts-20', the battery'and said relay-magnet. I

' When the signallever 7 is same timefa branch circuitisformed from from reaching :t he witch which mightotherl- I returned blade 18 closes the'contacts 20' the' relay 'magnet 24-becomes energized and-at the so the wire 54,' to back contact 29, through counterclockweight contact .36, to. wire67 '1 r then through the motorito drive the'lattei' I and back by wires .68 7O64 and56 to bats tery. i i I the range of the relay magnet24whereupon the magnet will quicklyattract the armature and causethe finger 39to's'wing I I quickly out of the path by the reset arn1I5 1.

,Themotor havin started the reset arms? -51 begins to travel sl owly throu'ghl a circular I pathfand" after a predetermined ti ne, -it ap- 1 Immediately upon the armature closing 1 contacts 28.3O the circuit through the motori i will be opened and the motor then stop; le'av-- ing the reset arm 51 inreadiness for another I I Itwill benotedthat as theyarn'iature 25 and :its arin- 27. are slowly. resetting the cycleof operation.

cou'nterweighted contact 36 is --followi ng the arm up and the contact 36 ceasesto'move up just asthe magnet 24 attracts therarmatui 'e.

W hen the armature is picked up then the 1 to be moved and the rail'switch 6thus reset. 1

Having described my invention, I claim,'

I '1 In a railwaysignaland switch appa-. 7 ratus the combinationrwith a switch oper- 1 ating mechanism, of a lock including a latch for holding the switch" mechanism, a lock-magnetfor controlling the latch a relay magnet having an armature coacting therewith which latter :when the relay is the'relay magnet to pick it up, a circuit f; IIOYeCl.

In a railway signal. and switch apparatus the combination with -'a;switch operat "in-g mechanism, of aloc'k'lnc'ludl ng a latch for. holding the switch mechanism, a lock f magnet for controlling the latch a relay i11 eluding a magnet havmgan armature Wl'tll front and back contacts said armature mov- I ing when the relay is deenergized toa po'sitron beyond the lnfiuence of the re/lay magneg-a clrcuit controlled through the 51 5-" nal mechanism "and frontcontact of said we armature to-i normally energize the relaymagnet, a motor mechanism with means dr yen thereby for moving the armature to 3, a positionwithin the influence of the relay 'inacgnet and electricalfci'rcuits controlled by 'thecsignal' mechanism when the latter is imoved to" danger position said" circuits including-the back contact of thearmature -tor setting the motor mechanism into operalien, and after antime interval 1I1Q\ l11g' tlli3 armature within the influence of the relay I and; energizing "the --lo'ck-1nagnet to release the switch mechanism."

' 8; In. a railway signal and switch appav ratus" the combination. with a switch ope rat'- ing inechanisln of an electrically-eperating l'ockior holdlngthe switch mechanism a signal operating mechanism, a relay lnclud- 'inga magnet having anarmature with front and-back contacts, almotor mechanism asso- Hciated with the" relaywith means driven by the 'motor, for resetting the said armature,

circuit closers operated byrthe signal mechanism, a circu t including one 01' said ciroperati .cuit-closersandthe relayytovhold said ar- V mature ralsedganother clrcult' ncludlng' another of said circuit-closers the frontcontact ot-the armature andlthe electrically-V [operated lock to release said swltch operat- 'mg mechanism and a circuit inclndm'g'the back contact of the armature and the motor when the' arm ature is down theswitch'is' lockedand theslgnal has been returned to,

a dangerposition to raise said armature to or normal position.

4 Ina railway signal and switch appa 'ra-tus the combination with a.switch-operat ing mechanism, of an electrically-operated lock for-the said switch inechanism -a signal- 7 inechanism,, two v Cll"Ct11t-ClOS6I'S operated by the signal mechanism and both" being closed when "the si 'nal is at danger, a

relay including a magnet and an armature,

and fback contacts: the armature being lOUllttCl so' that when dropped bythe deei iergization of the magnet it will move be lyond the influence of the magnetite pick it vwhich latter carries means providing front up again, a motor, time operatechmeans movedby the motor to move the arlnature bdtili'to a place where the relay magnet may pick it up, a circuit including oneof the circuit closers 'operated by the Signalmecln anism and also including the nelay magnet,

another ci'rcuitincluding the other of said two circuit-closers the front contact of the relayarmature and the electrically-operated lock of the switch mechanism and a third; circuit including the first of said't'wo vcircuitclosers, the back contact of "the armature and the motor said third circuit being formed when the signal has been returned to the normal danger position and the switch is still in the operated position. 1

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CHAR-LES ADLER, JR. 

